438 [December, 



It ia very remarkable what confusion exists in authors with regard to the 

 genus of this animal. It was called by Geof. St. Hilaire in 1805 Molossus, 

 afterwards in 1814 Nyctonomus, again was described by him as Rhinopoma 

 caroliniense ; it likewise belongs to the genus Dysopes of llliger and the Diuops 

 of Sari, yet none of their descriptions either of the genus or the species appear 

 to be correct ; they all seem to have confounded this North American bat with 

 the Melossus velox certainly an inhabitant of South America, and plainly be- 

 longing to a different genus. Mr. Cooper in the Annals of the Lyceum of New 

 York has made two species of it, Molossus cynocephalus and M. Lecontii. 

 founding the difference in the plaitings of the ears in the latter. As I have before 

 observed this is a character common to all bats : in dried specimens these strife 

 frequently are evanescent. 



M. Temminck's remark on the fore teeth of his Molossus that they vary in 

 number and are pushed out of place by the canines is a mere supposition. Age 

 of course causes the teeth to fall out, when the base of the canines will advance 

 somewhat, and cover the open alveoli, but in most cases, these always remain 

 open, or at most one or two of them may close as is observable in other animals 

 that have the misfortune to lose one or more of their teeth. In the M. velox 

 which has but four incisives in the lower jaw, placed in front at the base of the 

 canines, he supposes them to have been once situated in a space between the 

 canines, and afterwards to be pushed out in front (without any presumable 

 function) of their almost united bases ; an impossibility. This position of the 

 lower fore teeth is to be seen in every age of the animal. 



I have observed fifteen individuals of this species : one had no incisors in 

 the lower jaw; two had five ; three had four, and the rest six. 



This Bat is so numerous in the cities of the South as sometimes to render 

 houses uninhabitable, by their disagreeable smell, and the noise which they 

 make in moving about. It appears to be equally common in the island of 

 Cuba. 



Of Bats described by others, the following with but one exception I have never 

 Been, Dr. Bachman in the viii. volume of the Journal of this Society, mentions 

 four species : V. monticola he says resembles Say's bat; what species he calls by 

 that name I cannot discover. V. virginianus seems to be the V. humeralis of 

 Rafinesque. I have not seen this last for many years, and therefore cannot pro- 

 nounce definitely concerning it. The V. Leibii and Californicus are equally 

 unknown. Of Mr. Rafinesque's species, it is impossible to determine the follow- 

 ing ; there is a good reason however to doubt, whether they are distinct from 

 others which are well known ; V. cyanopterus, V. melanotis, V. calcaratus, 

 V. phaiops afterwards described in his Annals of Nature No. 1 as Eptisecus 

 melanops, V. megalotis, V. mystax afterwards called in the Journal de Physique 

 vol. lxxxviii. p. 417, Hypexodon mystax and Eptisecus melas, M. Cuvier's V. Sal- 

 arii may be the fuscus, and his subflavus the Caroliniensis ; his crassus like- 

 wise I cannot determine. M. Temminck's V. erythrodactylus, Temm. vol. ii. 

 page 235, remains among those unknown by me. 



Notices of some new and little known Birds in the collection of the JJ. S. Exploring 

 Expedition in the Vincennes and Peacock, and in the collection of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



By John Cassin. 



1. Muscipbta cyaniceps, nobis. 



Form. Bill rather long, wide at base, abruptly compressed towards the end 

 and furnished with about six pairs of strong rigid bristles at the base, some of 

 which are as long as the bill. Feathers of the head above somewhat elongated 

 and probably erectile, wings rather long, fourth primary longest, tail long, wide, 

 central feathers but slightly exceeding others next to them, tarsi rather long, 

 slender, tees short, feeble. 



Dimensions. Total length (of skin) about 6^ inches, wing 3, tail 3$ inches. 



